Marvel brings back foil and hologram covers, calls them Foilograms

I’m going to let you decide if this is a good thing or not, as Marvel announced today that it will bring Foilogram covers for the upcoming relaunch of the Ultimate Comics line.

â€œThis is Marvel doing the nineties right,â€ explained David Gabriel, Marvel Comics Senior Vice President of Sales & Circulation. â€œWeâ€™re taking two of the most popular cover treatments of all timeâ€”foil and hologramsâ€”to create an all new kind of cover, as a â€˜thank-youâ€™ to fans whoâ€™ve been demanding this kind of variant! Retailers and fans don’t need to worry.Â We’re only doing this on a limited basis.Â You won’t see one on Ms Marvel #46 or Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #4.Â We’re using them to mark very special occasionsâ€¦such as the launch of Ultimate Comics line.â€

Have fans really been demanding these? Who are they?Â Where are they from?Â I thought fans were demanding quality content at a reasonable price… While the concept feels like deja vu all over again (weren’t the 90’s bad for Marvel?), I will be checking out the Ultiamte Comics reboot/redux/flash foreward when the first issue arrives in August.

The Author

Stephen Schleicher

Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment.

You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...

10 Comments

I’m a HUGE Marvel fan, however, this seems like a lame attempt to squeeze more money out of their readers. I’ll stick to buying regular floppies. Hologram/foil was cool on the old trading cards, on the comics it doesn’t make much sense to me.

I agree, WHERE THE HELL are the fans that have been “demanding” the return of one of the biggest jokes of the 90’s Comic Book Industry?

I get the demand for Ben Reily. I do. Why? Because he’s a character, and every comic character ever has some kind of following.

But a “Special Cover”? The same garbage that was polluting the market, causing everything from “Guardians of The Galaxy #25” to “Ren & Stimpy #1” to at one point be considered highly collectible? B.S. Marvel, I love you and I’m loyal, but I’m calling outright B.S.

You’re trying to be sneaky by saying it’s some form of nostalgia, and that somewhere, someone has been “demanding” these covers again so that maybe the rest of us will shrug our shoulders and run with it. I will give you this, despite $3.99 being a lot for a comic, I was fully expecting to see another buck on there with these new covers. So OK, right now they seem to be something special that we haven’t seen in ten years, for just three new comics. Fine.

But once those dollars start increasing again, seriously Marvel, if the sins of the past repeat, I won’t only call B.S. I’ll call DC my new home, unless of course they follow suit. Again.

But a â€œSpecial Coverâ€? The same garbage that was polluting the market, causing everything from â€œGuardians of The Galaxy #25â€³ to â€œRen & Stimpy #1â€³ to at one point be considered highly collectible? B.S. Marvel, I love you and Iâ€™m loyal, but Iâ€™m calling outright B.S.

Marvel has always been about the product. Wolverine Appreciation Covers anyone? If we continue to buy it, they’ll continue to sell it.

I also don’t buy the argument anyone has ever had with these that nobody forces you to buy it. The company puts the money out up front, money they really don’t have in this economy, to produce these. They recoup the cost later at the shop based on orders. If a customer buys it or it collects dust for the next 50 years…really doesn’t matter at that point. It’s the store’s problem.

Which means that prices will go up. People will buy less. It all compounds in one way or another.

I’ve said this for awhile now. Want a really gimmick people can stand behind? Go to cheaper newsprint and lower prices. Joe Quesada says the difference isn’t that much…but it something. Something that you can give back to the consumer who would ultimately buy more of your books. It’s a no-brainer.

Because i don’t need the slicks. I want the damn pulps. But since it’s not being done I’ve had to drop more books. Thanks.

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